Santa Clarita To Host Women’s Soccer League Championship

Santa Clarita will serve as the host City for the 2010 United Soccer Leagues Women’s League Championship, presented by UMBRO.

“USL selected the City of Santa Clarita as the host City for its W-League Championship from a large, elite pool of competitive bids,” said City of Santa Clarita Mayor Laurene Weste. “Broadcast nationally on FOX Soccer Channel, the high-profile Championship will place Santa Clarita at the forefront of the national soccer community, reinforcing our position as one of the nation’s premier sporting event destinations and offering a direct positive economic impact to our businesses.”

The W-League semifinals and finals, featuring many of the top elite women’s domestic and international stars, will be held July 29-31 at Harry Welch Stadium at Canyon High School, with the finals televised nationally on FOX Soccer Channel.

Santa Clarita is home to the W-League’s Santa Clarita Blue Heat, who join the W-League’s Western Conference in 2010 and were instrumental in Santa Clarita’s bid to host the championship.

“Having the support of a respected presenting sponsor such as UMBRO, along with the sheer enthusiasm and dedication being offered by the City of Santa Clarita and the Santa Clarita Blue Heat, there’s no doubt in my mind the 2010 W-League Championship will be our most successful event to date,” said Senior Director of W-League Operations Melanie Fitzgerald.

The 2010 W-League Championship will be held in a “final four” format, with two semifinals played on Thursday, July 29 at Harry Welch Stadium and the winners meeting for the championship on Saturday, July 31. A consolation game featuring the other two semifinalists will precede the final.

“We are very excited to be the presenting sponsor of the 2010 W-League Championship, and are looking forward to partnering with USL and Santa Clarita to make this showcase a great success for players and fans alike,” said Richard Nightingale, general manager of UMBRO USA.

The first and longest-standing women’s league in North America, the W-League is USL’s highest level of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada. The 2010 USL W-League campaign features 29 teams in three regional conferences playing 10 or 12 regular season matches. In addition to featuring international and professional stars, elite amateur players have the opportunity to compete on amateur teams in the league while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league is recognized throughout the world for providing superior competition for female players, while offering affordable family entertainment for fans across North America.

United Soccer Leagues Info:

Founded in 1986, United Soccer Leagues has become the largest organization of elite-level soccer leagues in North America.

Now in its third decade of operation, USL operates in the United States, Canada, and Caribbean. USL provides a clearly defined path for the progression of male and female soccer players beginning at the youth level (USL Super Y-League/USL Super-20 League), continuing up through the amateur level (USL Premier Development League/USL W-League) and on to the professional level (USL First Division/USL Second Division).

A platform for countless players, USL’s goal is to develop the sport at the grassroots level in every community across the region.

KHTS AM 1220

As Santa Clarita’s only local radio station, KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, along with your favorite adult contemporary hits by artists such as Rob Thomas, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Maroon 5. KHTS is a vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community. Its broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience.